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Monday, January 4, 2010

Into the Future

When I was in high school I was selected to be a reporter on a teen news and general interest show entitled, “2010, Taking You Into the Future!”At the time, 2010 was nearly 20 years away and seemed impossible to imagine.I remember thinking, “In 2010 I will be in my 30s!I will probably have children!Whoa.”

Well, here it is, the future.What seemed so far off in the mid-1990s is suddenly a present reality.On one hand, it doesn’t seem so futuristic as I may have imagined at the time, but then again, I never could have guessed that my part-time job would be to write a blog, over the Internet.In fact, if you had told me this reality, I would have probably looked at you sideways as I typed on my bitchin’ word processor and used my fancy cassette player to listen to my Wham tape.

But I digress…this is a blog about food, not my ruminations on how time flies or how much has changed in less than 20 years.It is a New Year, a new decade and for many, a new time to reflect on their personal and family’s eating habits.I am here to offer you encouragement, hope and resources for your goals.(Note:I did not say “resolutions.”I think *today* is the best day to improve yourself, be it January 1 or August 23)

So let’s get started.In the coming days, in partnership with my blog on FamilyEducation.com, I’ll share ten recipes for healthy eating. I'm calling the list Ten-rrific Recipes and Recipe #1 is Quinoa Your Way. A variation of a Rookie Cookie recipe, you have got to try quinoa. "Keen-wah" is a whole grain full of protein and flavor and looks pretty good too:

Another great power food is pomegranate and pomegranate juice. I've been using it lately in lots of different variations, from drinks to my Pomegranate Braised Pork Shoulder (you really need to try this recipe!).

Here's another fun way to use pomegranate juice in a sublimely strawberry sweet syrup that's really quite healthful. I used it on our french toast the other morning, but it could be used as a dessert topping or other ways. If nothing else, tuck it away as a great way to make breakfast look super special for Valentine's Day...

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients. Stir and bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Continue to stir occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes or until the strawberries are very tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.

Makes about 2 cups sauce.

(mmm, tastes especially good with some chicken apple sausage and garnished with mint!)

And finally--an aside--

I wanted to cut to the chase and share recipes with you first, since I have been on mini-hiatus during the holidays. Other things I must mention:

**How 'bout them Buckeyes? I love Roses...**Christmas was wonderful here, no snow in Ohio, but plenty of Legos, Star Wars and Emergency Vehicles to keep the boys happy under the tree. Oh, and check out the gifts that my two little Sous Chefs received (photo below)**Winter Break was fun, but boy am I ready for school to start today!**Happy New Year!

About Me

It seems like a distant memory, but years ago I relished making involved, gourmet meals. Now my goal is to create healthy meals that appeal both to me and my husband and the palates of my two Sweet Pea boys. Journey with me through my victories and defeats.